Streaming platforms can prove quite expensive, whether it’s Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime or the lot combined, you may soon find a significant amount vanishing from your bank account simply to find something to view on a Friday night.
Yet, whilst they all provide some brilliant movies, BBC iPlayer has a hidden gem of a war picture, boasting an all-star cast that can be watched completely free.
In a modern retelling of a Shakespeare classic, the Oscar-winning Ralph Fiennes both helms and features in 2012’s Coriolanus.
The story centres on General Caius Martius, a ruthless and battle-hardened soldier who earns the title “Coriolanus” after a brutal victory over Rome’s enemies.
After the victory, he finds himself being pushed into political power, but when his true feelings come to light, he is exiled, where he joins forces with his former enemy to bring down Rome once and for all, reports the Express.
The film’s modern setting, complete with guns and 21st-century warfare, comes together to create something truly unique.
The cast is filled with some serious talent, with Fiennes taking the lead supported by a magnificent performance from Gerard Butler, alongside superb work from Succession’s Brian Cox and Jessica Chastain. After its release more than a decade ago, the picture received widespread praise, achieving a “certified fresh” score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A critic awarding it five stars saying: ” I would say it is a masterpiece. I wasn’t expecting Shakespeare dialogue. I was taken aback, then delighted. Butler absolutely terrified me with one of his warrior speeches.
“They say war is hell, which I’ve understood in terms of carnage, injury and death; even seeing one’s friends perish. But Butler then personified the statement ‘war is hell’ in his terrifying rage and desire for vengeance in his speech.”
Nevertheless, the film garnered a markedly less favourable response from general audiences, achieving just 58% on the review aggregator site.
The main complaint from cinema-goers focused on its use of original Shakespearean dialogue, which proved difficult to follow in places.
Whilst other adaptations, such as Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo + Juliet, navigate this more successfully due to audiences’ familiarity with the plot.
One Rotten Tomatoes reviewer emphasised this point, writing: “The reason audience scores are lower is that most cannot understand the content and its relevance to modernity.
“This is a great adaptation of Coriolanus. A play by Shakespeare that is not as widely known to the public at large but is still relevant. There is no denying that this film brings the story to a modern era unflinchingly and with powerful performances.”
The film is available to watch online free of charge through BBC iPlayer.
